Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

American Airlines Receives FAA Approval for iPads in Cockpit

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,488
30,722



The FAA has granted approval to American Airlines to use the iPad during all phases of flight, according to ZDNet. The first iPad-enabled flights are set to begin Friday on American's Boeing 777 aircraft.

aaipad.jpg


On Friday, American Airlines is the first airline in the world to be fully FAA approved to use iPads during all phases of flight. Pilots will use iPads as electronic chart and digital flight manual readers. The airline will begin iPad operations on B-777 aircraft, and then implement across all other fleets. By using electronic charts and manuals, the safety and efficiency on the flight deck is significantly enhanced. Both the iPad I and the iPad II have been approved for use. Other airlines such as United, Alaska, and UPS are also reviewing this potential, but none have been approved to conduct flight operations in all phases of flight except American. This FAA approval cumulates the results from a 6 month test period whereby American flew thousands of hours with iPads to test and evaluate the product.
Click to expand...
A number of aviators, including those in the Marine Corps and Alaska Airlines, have begun using iPads to reduce the number of paper maps flight crews must carry and fly with. The switch saves paper, and thus fuel, by reducing the weight of flight bags which can weigh several dozen pounds.

Article Link: American Airlines Receives FAA Approval for iPads in Cockpit
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2011/12/13/american-airlines-receives-faa-approval-for-ipads-in-cockpit/
P

PlaceofDis

macrumors Core
Jan 6, 2004
19,241
6
this is awesome. as someone who is working on entering the aviation industry, having iPads in the cockpit will only help pilots in so many ways. glad to see it being approved.
 
nagromme

nagromme

macrumors G5
May 2, 2002
12,546
1,196
Where can I get that awesome iPad dock that looks like a commercial airplane cockpit?

(P.S. Is that pilot flying in socks? I thought the iPad would allow time for things like shoes.)
 
Shrink

Shrink

macrumors G3
Feb 26, 2011
8,929
1,727
New England, USA
VERY DANGEROUS!!!

If there is an atomic explosion nearby, the electromagnetic pulse will knock out the iPads and, boy, will they be in trouble then.:eek:


:rolleyes: :p
 
A

Alexs5

macrumors newbie
Sep 21, 2011
26
0
Didn't American Airlines filed for bankruptcy?.... and they can afford ipads? lol
 
kdarling

kdarling

macrumors P6
Jun 9, 2007
17,373
5,924
First university coding class = 47 years ago
MacRumors said:
The FAA has granted approval to American Airlines to use the iPad during all phases of flight...
Click to expand...

My question is, why was American so cheap the past decade that they had to wait until a less expensive tablet came along.

Military, charter and private pilots have been using EFBs since the mid-1990s, and tablets since about 2000. (I know, because I used one back then for flight planning and charts.)

The switch saves paper, and thus fuel, by reducing the weight of flight bags which can weigh several dozen pounds.
Click to expand...

Depends on how many backup paper sets they will now keep in the aircraft. And if every pilot only flies planes equipped with an iPad, and is thus able (and willing) to leave his paper behind.

I would also personally note that although it's often boring to keep paper updated, something can be said for being forced to notice that something has changed about an airport you frequent.

PS. I do love the spot they made to mount them!
 
Last edited:
C

Cereal

macrumors newbie
Mar 13, 2008
29
0
Eauboy said:
I totally did not know that airplanes had tillers.
Click to expand...

You know, I was thinking the same thing but then realized it might be the steering mechanism on large aircraft. A little google search and wala - a steerable nose wheel!

Here's a picture along with the empty space for an iPad.

100_1862_ReallySM.jpg
 
JonneyGee

JonneyGee

macrumors 6502
Jun 8, 2011
358
1,222
Nashville, TN
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/9A405)

mp0890 said:
Great...so I can now use mine during takeoff and landing....right?
Click to expand...

THIS. The pilot can use an iPad whenever but if I pull one out I'm a safety risk? The FAA is so full of it...
 
C

Cjm1

macrumors member
Jun 17, 2010
77
-1
Didn't they just go bust? and yet there spending thousands on iPads. how people spend there money these days!

People say money is what makes the world go round, but in this day and age its whats stopping it!
 
kdarling

kdarling

macrumors P6
Jun 9, 2007
17,373
5,924
First university coding class = 47 years ago
JonneyGee said:
THIS. The pilot can use an iPad whenever but if I pull one out I'm a safety risk? The FAA is so full of it...
Click to expand...

This is one specific aircraft model that has been tested with two iPads in known locations.

Another model and/or one with more iPads around, is not the same setup and hasn't been tested.

For example, during recent testing for in-flight WiFi service, it was found that one particular Boeing model's cockpit displays could go blank if the WiFi power cranked up with more users.

That's the kind of situation that the FAA wants to avoid... and as a passenger with my family aboard, so do I.

Edit: I bet they added another item to their preflight checklist: make sure cockpit iPads are in Airplane Mode! No WiFi, no Bluetooth radios.
 
Last edited:
hob

hob

macrumors 68010
Oct 4, 2003
2,004
0
London, UK
Isn't it crazy that it took :apple: to come along with the iPad before air crews through "we could save fuel by not carrying all this paper". I'm amazed terminals weren't in use 5 years ago for this sort of thing...!
 
M

Machoo

macrumors member
May 26, 2010
37
0
Awesome!!

Well I'm pretty stoked about this. As a private pilot I am using my ipad for preflight, weather, and charts. It has been working very well. I have only tested it in the simulator. I wanted to make sure it works as it should and that I feel comfortable with it. After several flights I am sold big time! It saves so much time. It is more than paper savings for me, and I will still fly with paper backup so I will not even realize that savings. I am most happy about the way it is so easy to access information very quickly without juggling papers, charts, or books in the cockpit. Just one device strapped to your leg. My first flight with it in the cockpit is this weekend!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom